[Analytical study of 510 cases of surgical lymph node biopsies]

510 cases of surgical lymph node biopsies during a five year period are reviewed with the following conclusions: The lymph node biopsy constitutes 5% of all the surgical biopsies. The cervical and axillary lymph nodes are the most commonly biopsied nodes due to their easy accessibility and due to the fact that they drain the lymph from many vital organs; the next most commonly biopsied nodes are the sub-clavicular, grains, mesentric and mediastinal nodes. Among all the lymph node affections the metastatic tumours occupy the first place (23%) followed by the primary tumours (malignant lymphomas 16%) and the specific inflammatory lesions (10%). Among the metastic nodes squamous cell carcinoma occupy the first place (8%) followed by digestive tract, lung, thyroid glands, breast, testicular, pancreatic, ovarian and gall bladder tumours.